Abuja: Eight hundred Nigerians have been handed back across the Jibia-Magama border by the Niger Republic authorities, received on the Nigerian side by security forces, in what underscores the growing pressure on citizens caught in the diplomatic and security fault lines between the two neighbours.
This is contained in an operational report made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday. The report stated that the deportees, comprising men, women, and children, arrived at about 9:30 a.m. aboard eight buses.
It added that the returnees were currently undergoing profiling by officials from the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, the Police, and other intelligence agencies.
According to the report, the exercise aims to ensure proper documentation and security screening of the deportees. As these processes conclude, attention now turns to the next steps for the returnees’ welfare.
The report further disclosed that, after profiling, the deportees would be relocated to Kano State for additional processing. In Kano, officials will provide temporary accommodation and health checks, and help reunite deportees with family members or local contacts, as appropriate.